Vehicles used:
2008 BMW E92 328i Coupe

Snow & ice are the most challenging conditions drivers typically face; & the tires they use can make a big difference. New cars, vans & light trucks are usually fitted with either summer or all-season tires as Original Equipment (O.E.). Summer tires are designed to provide traction in dry, wet & warm conditions, but were never intended to encounter winter's cold, slush, snow & ice. All-season tires are designed to provide traction in a wider range of temperatures, but we've found they can perform like a Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Only today's dedicated winter / snow tires have proven to be able to blend good noise comfort & winter traction.

In order to better underst& how much traction these types of tires provide on ice, several members of the Tire Rack Team conducted tests with our local skating rink's glare ice replicating the slippery intersections often encountered during winter.

While summer tires weren't designed to ever encounter winter's snow & ice, we included them in our test to show just how helpless they can be when driven out of their element in comparison to Original Equipment all-season tires & aftermarket winter / snow tires. Our evaluation used 2008 BMW E92 328i coupes representing rear-wheel drive vehicles equipped with new, full tread depth 205/55R16-sized tires mounted on 16x7.5" wheels.

What We Learned on the Ice

Acceleration

We began by comparing how long it took the test cars to cover the final 60-foot distance to the center of the ice rink as they accelerated for a dead stop. The summer tires relied heavily on the car's traction control to begin their trip & took about 7.4 seconds to cover the 60 feet. The all-season tires relied less on the traction control to initiate their trip down the ice, but still took about 6.5 seconds to complete it. The studless winter / snow tires relied less on traction control & more on their ability to grip the ice. They took only about 4.5 seconds to complete their run.

Braking

We evaluated stopping traction by measuring how many feet it took to come to a complete stop from 10 mph. The limited ice traction of the summer tires caused the car's Antilock Braking System (ABS) to work overtime & they took about 47' to stop. While the all-season tires relied less on the car's ABS to control lockup, it took them about 39' 10" to stop the vehicle. The studless winter / snow tires provided the most grip on the ice, taking only about 21' 2" to stop.

Cornering

Our final test was cornering. We compared the cars' ability to turn a 90-degree corner marked by traffic cones at a little over 10 miles per hour. The car equipped with summer tires lost traction shortly after initiating the corner & ran wide at the exit, hitting several of the cones that represented the curb. Even the car's Dynamic Stability Control couldn't restrain the vehicle when its tires lost grip. The car equipped with all-season tires did a better job of initiating the corner but still lost traction & ran wide at the exit, again hitting several of the cones. & finally, the car equipped with studless winter / snow tires offered enough grip to complete the corner without hitting any of the cones.

Conclusion

When winter's cold, slush, snow & ice arrives, drivers often need tires that provide their best traction when the road conditions are at their worst. We expected the summer tires to finish in last place on the ice, but we included them in the test because we are all too frequently surprised to read consumer reviews criticizing their summer tire's traction in snow & on ice (summer tires aren't designed to be driven in snow & on ice). The results also reflect the compromises all-season tires have to accept to provide year-round capabilities. In the end, only today's high-tech studless winter / snow tires have proven to consistently blend good noise comfort along with traction in snow & on ice.

Product Details

Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 (Studless Ice & Snow): The Blizzak WS60 is Bridgestone's Studless Ice & Snow winter / snow tire developed for the drivers of coupes, sedans, minivans & crossover vehicles looking for traction on winter's slushy, snow-covered & icy roads. The Blizzak WS60 represents the third generation of Bridgestone WinterBiter tires designed to deliver wintertime traction & control that inspires driver confidence by getting the most out of the vehicle's potential.

Bridgestone Turanza EL400-02 & Turanza EL400 w/UNI-T (St&ard Touring All-Season): The Turanza EL400-02 & Turanza EL400 w/UNI-T are St&ard Touring All-Season tires developed to meet the Original Equipment & replacement tire needs of drivers for their sporty coupes, sedans & vans. Turanza EL400 tires are designed to provide a luxury appearance, long wear & responsive h&ling along with dry, wet & year-round traction, even in light snow.

Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Position with UNI-T Technology (Max Performance Summer): The Potenza RE050A Pole Position with UNI-T Technology was developed for sports car, sports coupe & sport sedan drivers. The Potenza RE050A Pole Position is designed to provide exceptional dry & wet road traction along with more responsive h&ling than the Potenza RE050A. Like all summer tires, it is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.